


A Folksy Imagination

by ericsonclan



Series: We are Monsters, We are Proud AU [15]
Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Flower Crowns, Flowers, Norwegian Mythology & Folklore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-21
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:14:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26034745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ericsonclan/pseuds/ericsonclan
Summary: While doodling in class, Sophie learns a few things about huldras like her new friend Renata that make her nervous.
Relationships: Renata/Minnie (Walking Dead: Done Running)
Series: We are Monsters, We are Proud AU [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1699969
Kudos: 3





	A Folksy Imagination

**Author's Note:**

> (by Laura)

“Alright, class. Today we’re going to be learning about huldras,” Mr. Walter’s calming voice carried throughout the room. “Now huldras aren’t recognized often within the States, being mostly found in Scandinavian countries, but as the world becomes more global and connected, so do we,” He began to write information down on the chalkboard as the class listened silently.

Sophie was only half paying attention to the lecture, most of her thoughts being focused on what she was sketching. She knew she should be listening more closely, but she couldn’t stop daydreaming about Marlon. The sketch she was working on now was of him, her third attempt to catch the particular charm of his smile. As she erased a portion of the portrait and started again, some of Mr. Walter’s words reached her.

“Huldras are known primarily as temptresses, mainly female thought there are stories of male huldrekal as well. The species as a whole can be called holder, though the prominence of females within Scandinavian lore makes huldra the most commonly used name. In folklore they were known to seduce men and bring them into the woods in hopes of marriage or… other activities,”

The class tittered a bit at that last comment, winks and suggestive nudges being shared round the classroom. Sophie’s mind wandered to the only huldra she knew, Renata. She was friendly with everyone, but Minnie did seem to have caught her eye. Sophie had noticed the way she looked at her twin sister, Renata’s eyes gleaming with an inquisitive light. _Is that instinct still within her? A… seductive side?_

“Many legends tell of huldras longing to get married, often within a Christian church,” Mr. Walter’s continued, writing more notes on the board. If that happened, their cow or fox tail would fall off and the hole in their back that had the appearance of rotting wood would close,”

 _What now?_ Sophie’s attention perked up at that news. _Renata has a hole in her back??? I mean, I guess school dress code would never allow her to wear anything that revealed it._

“When they married, the huldra’s glamour or beauty spell would fade, often leading to disappointed, less than affectionate husbands. The huldra could win his favor back though by feats of strength such as bending a horseshoe till it was straight. Some stories took darker turns though, with huldras beating men to the point of insanity or death if they were not pleased with them,”

 _Shit, really? I’m not sure Renata would have that sort of malice in her._ Sophie thought of her fox-tailed friend and her wacky interactions with others. She could definitely see one of Renata’s pranks going wrong and leading to some mishaps, but nothing more serious than that. Suddenly Sophie’s stomach gurgled. _Oof, that breakfast burrito is not sitting well._ She raised her hand, pointing toward the exit. Mr. Walter’s nodded, understanding the signal and continuing his lecture. As Sophie slipped out, she could still hear part of his lecture.

“Now all the legends about huldra anatomy, the fox and cow tails and the holes in their backs, are true…” His voice grew fainter with each step away from the classroom. 

_Huldras sure are interesting creatures,_ Sophie thought to herself as she entered the bathroom. _By that logic though, I guess harpies are pretty unique too._ She looked at her reflection in the mirror for a moment, preening the feathers along her arms before another tummy rumble told her she didn’t have time for this right now. Sophie slammed the bathroom door, ready to face her burrito once more.

Lunch time was pretty chill. Sophie sat next to Violet, happily munching on her PB and J. Now that spring was in full swing, they could finally sit at the outdoor picnic benches again, an option Sophie greatly preferred. She loved being able to stretch out her legs and feel a light breeze ruffle her feathers. She was surprised Minnie hadn’t arrived yet though. She was usually one of the first outside. She turned to Violet who was noshing on her nuggets while her tail wagged excitedly behind her. “Hey, have you seen Minnie today?”

Violet gulped down her current mouthful. “Nope, but we don’t have any classes together today,” She smirked at Sophie’s worried glance toward the cafeteria. “Chill, Soph. We’re only like 10 minutes into lunch. Clem and Prisha haven’t even showed up yet,”

They were 8 minutes into lunch, but Sophie wouldn’t bother saying that since it just made her worrying seem more silly. She was about to return to her sandwich when out of the corner of her eye she saw a flash of red.

Minnie? No, it was Renata, her tail bright and bushy as she strolled cross the lawn. But Minnie was right behind her! Where were they heading? Did they not see that she and Vi had snagged their regular table? _They’re heading towards the woods. And… holding hands._ Sophie gulped her sandwich down the wrong way, causing her to cough violently.

“Shit! Sophie, are you OK?” Violet leapt up, sharply hitting her back until the coughing ceased.

“Yeah,” Sophie croaked. “Just swallowed my sandwich weird,” Her eyes scanned the lawn. Minnie and Renata were nowhere to be seen. Had they snuck off into the woods? Mr. Walter’s lecture echoed in her ears: “In folklore they were known to seduce men and bring them into the woods…” _I have to find them. Now._

“Hey guys,” Clementine said, appearing before them with Prisha at her side. She sat down next to Sophie, but just as fast Sophie jumped up.

“I gotta go. I’ll see you guys later!” With that she barreled across the lawn, making a beeline toward the woods. Her heart thudded in her chest as she ran, refusing to calm down. _This is nuts. Renata’s not some psycho murderer seductress… but if I can just see what they’re up to with my own eyes then I can get these stupid doubts out of my head._

It didn’t take long to find the pair. They hadn’t wandered far into the woods before settling down in one of the clearings near the edge. Sophie could hear them giggling as she approached. She felt a bit guilty for spying. _As soon as I see that everything’s OK, I’ll head right back to school. They’ll never know I was there._ She slowly advanced forward, seeing the pair from behind. Renata was sitting up while Minnie had laid down, her head in Renata’s lap. A vulnerable position. Still, nothing that suggested danger. Sophie watched for a few minutes, hearing them joke about silly hijinks at school and make small talk.

Sophie was about to leave when Renata suddenly pulled something out of her pocket. Sophie’s eyes just about bugged out of her head. _Is that a knife?!_ The blade gleamed in the sunlight as Renata raised it up. Sophie’s legs were moving before her mind even caught up. “Minnie! Watch out!” she screamed, rushing toward them.

The pair looked at her in surprise and confusion.

Sophie made it to them in seconds, smacking the knife out of Renata’s hand. “You can’t take my sister!”

“Sophie, what the fuck!” Minnie exclaimed, jumping to her feet. “What was that?”

“She had a knife!” Sophie cried, pointing to the ground.

“Yeah, a pocketknife! My pocketknife if you’d bothered to look at it,”

Sophie’s eyes wandered over to the fallen knife, its blade embedded in a nearby tree root. Now that she looked closer, she did recognize that it was Minnie’s. _Oops._ She also took in the half-finished flower crown on her sister’s head. “Wait… was the knife to..?”

“To cut flower stems. What did you think it was for?”

“I… Mr. Walter talked about huldras today and how they…” Sophie’s words trailed off, her cheeks heating with embarrassment.

“How they what?”

“How they seduce people,”

Minnie stared at her twin in shocked silence.

Sophie felt so ashamed. She couldn’t believe she’d let some silly folklore make her doubt her friend. “Renata, I’m _so_ sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking!”

Renata didn’t seem to be taking in her words. Instead she was in the midst of a giggle fit, holding her sides as her body shook with laughter.

Sophie watched her friend with mild concern. “Renata?”

“Oh! Oh, it’s too funny!” Renata squealed, flopping on her side as she continued to giggle. “You thought me and Minnie…” she devolved into giggles again. “She’d kick my ass!”

Sophie looked up at her twin guiltily. Renata seemed fine with this turn of events, but Minnie still seemed peeved and rather uncomfortable. Sophie cleared her throat awkwardly. “You guys look cute together,”

Minnie and Renata shared a look before Minnie turned back to her twin. “We were going to tell everyone eventually. We just wanted some time to ourselves before everyone found out and wanted to ask all sorts of questions and give their opinions,”

That was fair. Sophie could already see Ruby and Louis peppering the pair with questions as soon as they knew about them. She raised her hands in a passive gesture. “I won’t tell a soul. I swear,”

“Better keep your word, Soph,” Renata said teasingly. “I’m sure Mr. Walter told you about what happens when you provoke a huldra’s wrath,” Her pointed teeth were unnerving as she smiled at Sophie. 

Sophie stared at her, eyes wide and uncertain.

Then Renata giggled again. “Kidding! You should see the look on your face!”

Sophie felt an unsteady relief settle over her. Given the bad rep harpies had within folklore, she should know better than to take their words as gospel truth. Besides, now that she thought about it she had missed at least ten minutes of the lecture due to her stomach’s fight with the breakfast burrito. Her eyes travelled up to meet her twin’s. She felt worst of all about betraying her trust. “I’m _really_ sorry. Are we good?”

A small smile crossed Minnie’s lips. “Yeah. Just don’t let your mind go running off with you, OK?”

“You got it!” Sophie stared at the pair for a moment, unsure of what else to say. “Well, bye!” Giving an awkward wave, she spun around and headed straight out of the forest, making her way back to the school. _Note to self: no more doodling in Mr. Walter’s class._ She had a lot more listening to do.


End file.
